


Where Life Goes

by Yamea



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Guild Wars, M/M, Sylvari Eren, human levi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 13:36:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3812464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yamea/pseuds/Yamea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While out on a raid, thief Levi is surprised by a rather naive Sylvari, which leads to a proposal that is too good to be refused.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where Life Goes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Emiza](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emiza/gifts).



> A present for [Emiza](http://emiza.tumblr.com/) as thanks for the wonderful fics and also to hopefully counter some negative feelings due to some people leaving mean comments on them lately. I noticed you play Guild Wars 2, so I hope you enjoy this little combination with ereri.
> 
> For everyone without knowledge about GW2:  
> I hope I wrote most of this clear enough, so you wouldn't need too much background information about Guild Wars lore. Some things that might not be understandable on first glance are the following:  
> The Six - the six gods of human lore  
> Grenth and Dwayna - both are members of the Six  
> skelk - an amphibious creature in the game  
> Cycle of Noon - Sylvari identify by the time in which they born: dawn, noon, dusk and night  
> Secondborn - second generation  
> Mesmer - mage specialized in illusions  
> Realm of Torment - something like hell
> 
> If I missed something and you'd like further clarification, do not hesitate to shoot me a comment. Same for if you find some mistake I overlooked.

Levi carefully lowered the bundle of precious cargo out of the open window. He wasn't so much worried about damaging any of the stuff inside, as he had chosen only to steal silverware and jewelry this time, along with a pouch of gold coins he had found by chance in one of the drawers he'd searched. But simply throwing it out the back window, while much quicker than the current method, would have created too much noise and he couldn't afford to alert the guards of Salma District to his presence. They were already suspicious enough after he had ransacked the manors of four other nobles in the last two weeks. He figured that after he was finished with today's raid, he'd have to move districts in order to avoid being caught. Maybe even leave the city of Divinity's Reach for a while, just in case. Dwayna forbid he should ever see the inside of a city prison again. He could still remember the stale air and oppressive darkness only broken by the fiery shine of a few torches on the damp walls as if it was only yesterday. Or corrupt guards that were supposed to keep watch over their charges, but made it their pastime to harass them instead. Even though it had been years since he got caught on his first thieving attempts as a teen, he couldn't and more importantly wouldn't forget the experience. It had shaped him into the careful and skilled master thief he was now, always trying to prepare for every possible development.

A soft clunking noise alerted Levi that his loot had safely reached the grassy ground of the backyard. He let the rope he had lowered the satchel with fall on top of it and climbed onto the window sill. He slid over to the vine clinging to the wall right next to it and slowly began his descent. The setting sun cast its soft orange light over his inconspicuous brown leather outfit, making him blend into the already reddening leaves of the plant. A light breeze swirled around him, toying a bit with his jetblack hair. While slowly making his way down, in his mind he already calculated the amount of gold he would get out of today's haul after selling it. If that son of a putrid skelk he usually sold his goods to tried to cheat him out of a fair price again... well, he'd make sure to give him the chance of an audience with Grenth, the god of death, himself.

“Why do you not use the door to leave?”, a sudden voice sounded calmly from right behind him.

Ripped out of his thoughts by this unexpected interruption, Levi's head snapped around towards its source. However, in doing so he failed to pay attention to where he was about to place his foot and missed the branch by a small distance. He lost his balance and with a startled yelp he could not suppress, he tipped backwards and fell. He hit the ground hard with his spine and the impact drove all the air out of his lungs, though thank Dwayna he had not landed on the heap of metal. He closed his eyes temporarily and tried to regain his breath, while taking inventory of his body, checking for any injuries. Finding none, his eyes shot open again when a shadow was cast over his face, reminding him of the person that had been the cause for his mishap. He inched his hand slowly towards the dagger at his side, praying to the Six that it wasn't a guard. But when his gaze met the person looking down at him, any of his movements came to a standstill.

The first thing he noticed about his opponent were the eyes that were of a luminous green color with flecks of gold glowing brightly inside. They were so breathtaking to him, that it took him a while to notice that the skin of said individual was green as well, though more the shade of a pale mint. Levi blinked his eyes once, twice, wondering if he had hit his head on the ground causing him to hallucinate, even though he could not feel any pain indicating such an occurence. Even after trying to clear his eyes a third time, the sight before them did not change one bit. Not only that, he now realized that what he had perceived as brown hair on a quick glance earlier was in fact a set of golden-brown leaves nestled upon the stranger's scalp.

He was still gaping up in shock at the humanoid creature above him, when it opened its mouth and asked in the same melodic voice that had startled him before, “Are you alright? I hear broken bones are a very serious thing for humans and I would be very sorry, if I was the cause of such an injury.“

The inquiry managed to shake Levi free of his shock and he sat up cautiously, groaning a bit at the pain still coursing through his backside. While he hadn't sustained any serious injury, he was sure he would sport some nasty bruises come morning. A slender green hand was extended in offering before him. Still a bit wary, he nevertheless accepted the help. When he grabbed onto the hand, it did not feel like the fleshy skin of a human, but rather like the soft bark of a tree sapling, with a slightly rough texture but still pliable. As soon as he was back on his feet, the thief finally took full notice of the other individual. They stood about a head taller than he himself, not that this came as a surprise since he was on the smaller end of the height spectrum. All of the open skin was the same pale green color with lighter veins visible at some points, much like those of tree leaves. Upon closer inspection they seemed to pulse occasionally with a luminescent glow of white. The rest of the figure was clad in clothes of dark blue, that went well with the green of the skin, though much like the hair they consisted of leaves that seemed to sprout out of the creature's body itself.

Levi realized he was still staring in silence, when the same hand that helped him stand up was now being waved in front of his eyes.

“Your body seems fine, but did you lose your ability of speech? Should I bring you to a mender of your race?”, the other hovered worriedly in front of him.

Swallowing once to moist his dry throat, Levi finally opened his mouth. “Who... _What_ are you?“

Following a flash of surprise, he was now shown a beaming smile so bright that his heart made a sudden stutter at the sight of it. “Oh, I am glad you are well! I would not have known what to do otherwise. But forgive my rudeness! I am Eren of the Cycle of Noon, Secondborn of the Sylvari and currently traveller across the lands.“

Sylvari.

Levi had heard the stories being told in the streets about this new race, that apparently had emerged only a few years prior. They were said to be walking plants in the shape of humans, hatched fully grown from the fruits of a giant tree in the Maguuma Jungle. Rumors had it that they were all connected in the same dream, in which they would share knowledge with each other before they awakened. He hadn't thought there was much truth behind them however, just a tale of drunken fools who could no longer discern the differences between simple forest creatures and other people. Now confronted with a member of said race though, he was forced to admit that there must have been more truth in them than he had imagined. If he was honest to himself, being faced with the new and unknown fascinated him a great deal.

“You are... male?”, Levi tried to place the sound of Eren's voice.

“I am indeed what your kind would identify as male, though it matters not to us. We simply are”, was the answer.

Levi didn't quite know what to say, so he lapsed into silence again, taking to observe the Sylvari's body once more. Had it not been for the unusual color and texture, its form would have been that of a normal lean human with perfectly shaped limbs. He was shaken out of his reverie, when Eren repeated his earlier question. „Why did you climb out of a window and not simply use a door to leave the house?“

The innocent inquiry served as an abrupt reminder to Levi that he had just been caught stealing from a minister's estate by Eren, even though the latter didn't seem to understand the truth of the situation just yet. Levi's mind whirled as he went through every possible excuse he could make to prevent him from connecting the dots.

He was spared from actually choosing one however, as shouts of “The noise came from somewhere around here!“ and the sounds of a few armored people running towards their location arose. Clearly his earlier fall and the following conversation had created too much of a ruckus to go unnoticed.

“Fuck”, Levi hissed and snatched up the satchel with his haul, quickly throwing it over his shoulder. Without sparing a last glance at Eren, he dashed towards the heavily ornated garden wall and vaulted over it onto the streets, taking off into the opposite direction of the incoming soldiers as fast as he could. It didn't seem like he had been fast enough however to prevent being spotted, as cries of “Over there!“ and “Get them!“ reached his ears.

He almost stumbled when the implication of 'Get _them_ ' processed in his brain. He risked a short glance backwards and sure enough, there was the Sylvari, running along only a small distance behind him. Despite the serious situation, he couldn't help but be impressed. He was one of the fastest runners and here this plant creature could keep his pace with little to no difficulties. Eren didn't even seem short of breath as he fixed his intense green stare onto Levi and asked, “Why are we running?“

The thief almost laughed outright into his face. “You mean you're following me without any clue as to what is happening here?“

Pale green shoulders twitched in a shrug. “It seems they wish you ill, so it felt appropriate.“

“I've helped myself to some of the stuff from that fat pig of a minister, who has way more of it than he needs anyway. Of course the guards don't like me.”

“I see, you are a thief then. But why would they be upset, if someone who needs them takes things from another who doesn't? Would it not be a waste to not utilize items in a way that's most efficient?”

The Sylvari seemed honestly so confused, Levi really, really wanted to laugh right then and there, pursuers be damned. It was such a naive and positive outlook on life at the same time. “Humans are a greedy lot. As long as they have more than enough for themselves, they don't give a damn what's happening to others. I'm honestly surprised you haven't learned that about us yet.“

“I see. I have not yet lived long enough to learn more about your kind. I will try my best to further my own understanding and thus by extension the one of my brethren”, Eren nodded, seriously taking in Levi's every word.

Levi cast another glance back at him. “How old are you anyway? I wouldn't know with all your leafy appearance.”

“It has been about one year and four months since I left the Dream”, Eren informed him matter-of-factly, causing him to almost choke on air.

“You're a freaking toddler?!”

“That means a small and inexperienced human, does it not? You cannot quite compare us to your own race in that way. We grow inside our mother, the Pale Tree, and when we are finally ready to emerge from our pods, we are as you can see me now, of full size. And even before, we already learn the basics of the world through our Dream, so that we may face the outside prepared.”

As he pondered this information, Levi had to skid to a sudden stop as he was faced with a wall right in front of him. He frantically let his eyes dart around to search for a way out, but he realized that their escape had led them right into a dead-end alley below the city walls. From the sounds gradually drawing closer it seemed as if their pursuers hadn't lost their trail either and were not too far behind. “Shit, shit, shit, shit...“

With no way out, he would have to fight. He generally avoided fighting when he could, because he was dressed rather lightly with no noteworthy armor except for leather guards, in order to be as nimble as possible for his job. Now however, there was no choice. He lowered the bag to the ground and drew his daggers, preparing for the moment the guards would appear around the corner and attack.

Having forgotten about his company for a second, he startled when Eren closed his long fingers in a secure grip around his left wrist. “What the hell do you think you're doing?! I need to be able to fight!“

Eren simply shook his head and replied in a quiet, calming voice, “It's ok. You needn't do anything. Just don't move.“

Levi wanted to berate him for such foolishness and rip his wrist out of the other's grasp, but something in the Sylvari's tone made him stay put. The touch felt cool and soothing, even as a strange sort of energy felt like it poured out of the green skin and into his own.

Just in that moment his attention was called away from Eren, as a group of five city guards spilled around the corner and onto their small alleyway. Only to come to an abrupt stop as they glanced in their direction, confusion apparent on their faces. Levi was baffled as to what could have been the cause for it, until one of them exclaimed, “What in the Realm of Torment! Where did they go?!“

The thief felt his eyes go wide, for they were standing _right there_ in front of the group, no more than a few paces away. And yet, it seemed as if they were invisible to them.

“We must have missed them turn before! Go back and split up! Do not let these bloody criminals escape again!”, commanded what seemed to be the leader of the soldiers and they all clambered back the way they had come from, leaving behind the alley now shrouded in silence.

“What did you do?”, Levi demanded to know after a minute when he had found his voice and Eren released his grip.

Eren sent a small smile his way and raised his hand, on top of which a swarm of delicate, purple glowing butterflies suddenly errupted, only to fade again into nothingness. “I simply let them see something that was not there, or rather I did not let them see what was truly here.“

“You're a Mesmer”, Levi realized. The strange prickling sensation on his skin earlier must have been caused by the magic surrounding them. “You showed them illusions.“

“I did”, Eren concurred. “I do not think you would have liked being apprehended. As for me, I cannot afford to be stopped in my Wyld Hunt.“

Levi tilted his head questioningly. “Your what?”

“My calling in life”, the Sylvari explained. „Some of us dream of a task meant for us to do once we leave the safety of our Mother's branches. This task is called a Wyld Hunt and there are many different kinds. I, for one, have dreamt of exploring the world, seeing all there is to see. Going beyond walls like this, never being confined in a single space.“ He gestured towards the huge walls of Divinity's Reach towering over them with their long shadows cast onto the pavement. His voice turned solemn then though he kept smiling, sounding like he was reciting something important. “Where life goes, so too, should you.“

“Where life goes... Must be nice to be able to go where you please”, Levi murmured wistfully.

“That it certainly is“, Eren agreed. “It is freedom and excitement all at once. It is dangerous too, of course, so one should be suitably skilled to be able to survive.” He fixed Levi with a stare full of sincerity and passion, expression grown from smiling to serious in the blink of an eye. Then he extended his right hand towards him, palm up. “So what do you say?“

“Say to what?”, Levi responded, perplexed.

“Would you like to come with me to see the world? Forgive me, should I be too presumptuous, but you do not strike me as the type to be content for long with simply living your life day in, day out without any kind of challenge.”

He wasn't. He truly wasn't happy with how his life was right now, but it was all he'd ever known and never once had he imagined himself actually being able to escape it. But now that Eren had pointed out the opportunity to him, he could have slapped himself for never even considering such a thing. But then again, a small voice in the back of his mind whispered to him, he wouldn't have met Eren if he had left ages ago. For some reason, the strange Sylvari invoked a weird feeling inside of him. What kind of feeling this was, he didn't know, but it felt just right, like a missing puzzle piece finally finding its rightful place. He would figure it out sooner or later if he went with Eren, of that he was sure.

Bathed in the last rays of daylight, he clasped his hand firmly together with Eren's, shaking it once. “I would love to... Eren.“

He was rewarded with another dazzling smile, putting even the sinking sun to shame.

“Welcome to the world, Levi.”


End file.
